BGT 2024-25: Inglis Set to Represent Western Australia in Sheffield Shield After Squad Release
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Sydney, Dec 6 (NationPress) Australia has officially released reserve batter Josh Inglis from their squad, allowing him to compete for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield match taking place at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Inglis's selection in the playing XI for the game against New South Wales came as a surprise, given that he wasn't included in the initial 13-man squad. However, following the announcement of Australia's XI for the second Test against India in Adelaide, which saw Scott Boland stepping in for the injured Josh Hazlewood, Inglis was on a flight to Sydney on Thursday evening and subsequently added to the WA XI.
On Thursday afternoon, Inglis was spotted practicing in the nets at Adelaide Oval during Australia's optional training session before departing the squad to represent the three-time defending champions WA.
Inglis is the only player released from Australia’s expanded Test squad, now including Beau Webster, Sean Abbott, and Brendan Doggett, for this round of Sheffield Shield matches that will conclude on Monday. This ensures Inglis's eligibility for selection in the upcoming third Test against India in Brisbane, starting December 14.
A spokesperson from Cricket Australia has confirmed that Inglis could be called back to the Test squad if needed.
WA also welcomed back captain Sam Whiteman, who has recovered from a side strain and recently scored a century for Fremantle in WA Premier Cricket. Unfortunately, Ashton Turner, who led WA during Whiteman's absence, has suffered a similar injury while batting with Whiteman, making him unavailable for the SCG match. His recovery timeline is currently unknown, which may impact the Perth Scorchers in the BBL.
WA has omitted Joel Paris from the squad, while Hamish McKenzie has been included for his second Shield match. Jhye Richardson, who missed this fixture due to a minor shoulder injury sustained during a wicket celebration in the previous round, is replaced by Brody Couch.
For New South Wales (NSW), Abbott is on Test duty, and Nic Maddinson is recovering from finger surgery following a grade cricket injury. Adam Zampa, who played his first Shield match in almost 20 months last week, is also unavailable. Zampa’s inclusion sparked discussion as Tanveer Sangha was left out in favor of Zampa, who is looking to secure a Test position for the Sri Lanka tour next year.
"I wouldn't say it's a total burning desire. It's something I'd like to do and challenge myself at. If I got to end my career and it didn't pan out that way, then I'd be OK with it," Zampa commented.
